Intro:
Ruby Bridges is an American civil rights activist with an incredible life-story that teaches us the importance of courage, determination, and empathy in creating a more equal society. In this article, we present 17 radical Ruby Bridges activities designed to foster a sense of equality and empathy in the heart of every participant. These activities will help educate our youth on the lessons learned from Ruby Bridges’ life and inspire them to create positive change in their own communities.
1. Picture Book Reading: Share the picture book “The Story of Ruby Bridges” by Robert Coles with your children or students. This activity will help to build understanding about Ruby’s life and experiences.
2. Classroom Discussion: Spark a conversation around themes like racism, segregation, empathy, and equality inspired by Ruby’s story.
3. Movie Night: Organize a screening of the movie “Ruby Bridges” (1998), followed by a group discussion on its key messages.
4. Creative Writing: Encourage participants to write letters or essays putting themselves in Ruby’s shoes and what they would have done if faced with similar challenges.
5. Artistic Expression: Paint or draw pictures portraying Ruby Bridges’ life events, emphasizing emotions she might have experienced.
6. Historical Timeline Activity: Create a visual timeline showcasing important events related to Ruby Bridges’ life as an activist alongside key milestones in the Civil Rights Movement.
7. Skit Performance: Reenact significant scenes from Ruby’s life through role-playing or skits.
8. Empathy Walk Exercise: Conduct an empathy walk exercise where people walk around differently abled in order to experience barriers others face daily.
9. Visit an Integration Monument: Organize a field trip to a historic site or monument related to integration or desegregation history.
10. Compare & Contrast Activity: Compare and contrast segregation issues then vs now, discussing what progress has been made and what we still need to work on.
11. Poetry & Music: Write songs or poems inspired by Ruby Bridges’ life and the Civil Rights Movement, and perform or share them.
12. Social Media Initiative: Start a social media campaign to create awareness about equality, empathy, and the contributions of Ruby Bridges.
13. Service-Learning Project: Develop community service projects aimed at promoting equality and empathy like organizing a book drive or supporting a local non-profit in the field of education or civil rights.
14. Donation Drive: Plan a school-wide donation drive for schools in need, inspired by Ruby’s dedication to equality in education.
15. ‘Stand in My Shoes’ Activity: Have participants switch roles with someone else for an entire day to understand different perspectives.
16. Literature Circles: Choose various books and articles related to Ruby Bridges, the Civil Rights Movement, and other social justice topics for discussion groups.
17. Reflection Activity: Encourage students to reflect on how their understanding of Ruby’s story has changed their perception of empathy, equality, and making a difference in the world.
Conclusion:
By implementing these 17 radical Ruby Bridges activities, we can inspire a generation that values empathy, promotes equality, and is dedicated to creating meaningful change within their communities. Remember, small acts can make a big difference – just like Ruby Bridges did over half a century ago.
